The present teachings relate generally to mobility devices, and more specifically to control systems for vehicles that have heightened requirements for safety and reliability.
A wide range of devices and methods are known for transporting human subjects experiencing physical incapacitation. The design of these devices has generally required certain compromises to accommodate the physical limitations of the users. When stability is deemed essential, relative ease of locomotion can be compromised. When transporting a physically disabled or other person up and down stairs is deemed essential, convenient locomotion along regions that do not include stairs can be compromised. Devices that achieve features that could be useful to a disabled user can be complex, heavy, and difficult for ordinary locomotion.
Some systems provide for travel in upright positions, while others provide for ascending or descending stairs. Some systems can provide fault detection and of operation after a fault has been detected, while others provide for transporting a user over irregular terrain.
The control system for an actively stable personal vehicle or mobility device can maintain the stability of the mobility device by continuously sensing the orientation of the mobility device, determining the corrective action to maintain stability, and commanding the wheel motors to make the corrective action. Currently, if the mobility device loses the ability to maintain stability, such as through the failure of a component, the user may experience, among other things, discomfort at the sudden loss of balance. Further, the user may desire enhanced safety features and further control over the reaction of the mobility device to unstable situations.
What is needed is a reliable, lightweight, and stable mobility device that includes an automatic response capability to situations that are commonly encountered by a disabled user such as, for example, but not limited to positional obstacles, slippery surfaces, tipping conditions, and component failure.